Dr. David Liao Orthopaedic Center, LLC

David Liao, DO

Sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery often go hand in hand when it comes to diagnosing and treating a variety of sports-related conditions and injuries. David Liao, DO of Dr. David Liao Orthopaedic Center, LLC, is an orthopaedic surgeon with nearly 20 years of experience treating conditions such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, and meniscal tears. With two Texas locations, Greenville in Hunt County and Royse City in Rockwall County, Dr. Liao welcomes those in the area to call the office to schedule a consultation.

Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery Q & A

What is tennis elbow?

The condition called lateral epicondylitis is what most of us know as “tennis elbow.” It’s a common injury, though only a small number of men and women with the condition actually get it from playing tennis. If you have tennis elbow, you feel pain on the outside of your arm where your forearm meets your elbow.

You can get tennis elbow from repeated stress, injury, or overuse of the muscles surrounding the elbow. “Golfer’s elbow” is a similar type of condition in which the pain is on the inside of the elbow. When either is left untreated, they can turn into chronic issues. Both of these injuries may get better with rest, but extreme cases may require arthroscopic surgery to remove small areas of the damaged tendons.

What are meniscal tears and ACL tears?

Some of the most common knee injuries for athletes who play contact sports are meniscal tears and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains or tears. The menisci are two discs of cartilage in your knees that provide a cushion between your thighbone (femur) and your shinbone (tibia). When a meniscus tears, you might feel a pop in your knee.

The ACLs are ligaments inside your knee that control the back and forth motion. If you tear an ACL, your knee becomes unstable, or can give out completely. Depending on how badly the meniscus or ACL is torn, you may still be able to walk, but after a couple days, if left untreated, your knee becomes stiff and swollen.

Meniscal tears and ACL tears are usually painful and prevent you from moving your knee through its full range of motion. Once Dr. Liao examines your knee and determines the extent of these injuries, he may recommend either a more conservative approach to letting it heal, or repairing it arthroscopically.

What is arthroscopic surgery?

Arthroscopic surgery is a procedure that involved inserting a tiny camera through a small incision that allows Dr. Liao to see inside the joint. Through this method, he can diagnose and treat your injury with the use of small surgical instruments to repair any damage. Arthroscopic surgery is effective at treating sports-related injuries and conditions such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, meniscal tears, and ACL tears.

Dr. Liao uses his expertise in sports medicine and orthopaedic surgery to correct cartilage and ligament damage with arthroscopy, and recovery time is usually less than more invasive forms of surgery. Call to set up a consultation today.